You are on page 1of 70

Session 9 and Session 10

Superior Strategy Execution

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Learning Objectives (1 of 2)

1. Recognize what managers must do to build an


organization capable of good strategy execution.
2. Explain why resource allocation should always be
based on strategic priorities.
3. Understand why policies and procedures should be
designed to facilitate good strategy execution.
4. Understand how process management programs that
drive continuous improvement help an organization
achieve operating excellence.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Learning Objectives (2 of 2)

5. Recognize the role of information and operating


systems in enabling company personnel to carry out
their strategic roles proficiently.
6. Explain how and why the use of well-designed
incentives and rewards can be management’s single
most powerful tool for promoting operating
excellence.
7. Explain how and why a company’s culture can aid the
drive for proficient strategy execution.
8. Recognize what constitutes effective managerial
leadership in achieving superior strategy execution.
IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram
Crafting versus Implementing Strategy

Crafting Strategy Implementing Strategy


• Market- and resource- • Execution of operations-
driven activities driven activities
• Success depends on • Success depends on
• Attracting and pleasing management’s ability to
customers • Direct change
• Outcompeting rivals • Allocate resources
• Developing the firm’s • Build capabilities
collection of resources and • Build strategy-supportive
capabilities policies and culture
• Deliver good results

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Who Is Responsible for Implementation of the
Chosen Strategy?
The organization’s chief executive officer and other senior
managers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the
strategy is executed successfully.
It is middle and lower-level managers who must see to it
that frontline employees and work groups competently
perform strategy-critical activities that allow
companywide performance targets to be met.
All managers should think,
• “What does my area have to do to implement its part of the
strategic plan, and what should I do to get these things
accomplished effectively and efficiently?”

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


The Eight Components of Strategy Execution

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


The Principal Managerial Components of Strategy
Execution (1 of 2)
Components:
• Building an organization with the capabilities, people,
and structure needed to execute the strategy
successfully
• Allocating ample resources to strategy-critical
activities
• Ensuring that policies and procedures facilitate rather
than impede effective strategy execution
• Adopting process management programs that drive
continuous improvement in how strategy execution
activities are performed

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


The Principal Managerial Components of Strategy
Execution (2 of 2)
Components, continued:
• Installing information and operating systems that
enable company personnel to perform essential
activities
• Tying rewards directly to the achievement of
performance objectives
• Fostering a corporate culture that promotes good
strategy execution
• Exerting the internal leadership needed to propel
implementation forward

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


CORE CONCEPT: Strategy Execution

Good strategy execution requires a team effort. All


managers have strategy executing responsibility in their
areas of authority, and all employees are active
participants in the strategy execution process.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy
Execution: Three Key Actions
Key organization building actions
1. Staff the organization’s workforce.
2. Acquire, develop, and strengthen strategy-supportive
resources and capabilities.
3. Structure the organization and work effort.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Staffing the Organization—Building Managerial
Talent
Assembling a capable management team is a cornerstone
organization-building task.
• Put people with strong strategy implementation skills and a
results orientation in key managerial posts.
• Replace weak executives, strengthening the skills
of those who remain, and bringing in fresh outsiders.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Management Development
at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

Clear path to partnership

Learning and
development
programs that Formal training programs
contribute
to Deloitte’s
successful
execution Special programs
of its talent for high performers
strategy

Sponsorship, not mentorship

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Staffing the Organization—Recruiting and Retaining
a Capable Workforce
The quality of a firm’s people is an essential ingredient of
successful strategy execution.
• Staffing the right people at all levels is required to ensure
competent performance of value chain activities.
• Find, develop, and then retain engaged employees with
excellent compensation packages, opportunities for rapid
advancement and professional growth, and challenging and
interesting assignments.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Tactics for Recruiting and Retaining a
High-Performance Workforce
Put extra effort into screening and evaluating job applicants—
selecting for skill sets, energy, initiative, judgment, aptitudes for
learning, and adaptability to the firm’s culture.
Invest in training programs that continue throughout employees’
careers.
Provide promising employees with challenging, interesting, and skill-
stretching assignments.
Rotate people through jobs that span functional and geographic
boundaries.
Strive to retain high-performing employees via promotions, salary
increases, performance bonuses, stock options and equity ownership,
fringe benefit packages, and other perks.
Coach average performers to improve their skills and capabilities,
weeding out underperformers and benchwarmers.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Acquiring, Developing, and Strengthening Key
Resources and Capabilities
Good strategy execution requirements
• Putting key resources and capabilities into place
• Refreshing and strengthening them as needed
• Modifying them as market conditions evolve
Organization building requires deciding when and how to
recalibrate competencies and capabilities.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Three Approaches to Building and Strengthening
Capabilities
Developing dynamic capabilities to manage
organizational change
• Become proficient in developing capabilities internally.
• Acquire capabilities through mergers and acquisitions.
• Access capabilities via collaborative partnerships.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Developing Capabilities Internally

Managerial Actions to Develop


Competencies and Capabilities

Strengthen the Coordinate and


firm’s base of skills, integrate the efforts
knowledge, and of work groups and
intellect departments

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Acquiring Capabilities Through Mergers And
Acquisitions
A question of When a market opportunity can slip by
market faster than a needed capability can be
opportunity created internally

A question of When industry conditions, technology, or


competitive competitors are moving at such a rapid clip
necessity that time is of the essence

A question of Tacit knowledge and complex routines may


successful not transfer readily from one organizational
integration unit to another

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Accessing Capabilities Through Collaborative
Partnerships

Approaches to Acquiring
Capabilities from an External Source

Engage in a
Outsource the Collaborate with
collaborative
function requiring a firm that has
partnership for the
the capabilities to complementary
purpose of learning
a key supplier or resources and
how the partner
another provider capabilities
does things

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Matching Organizational Structure
to the Strategy
Key value chain activities that deliver value to the
customer are critical to an organization’s proficient
strategic performance.
Structure follows strategy—a changed strategy requires a
new or different structure and new or different key
activities and capabilities.
• Attempting a new strategy with an outdated organizational
structure is unwise.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Ensuring that Structure Follows Strategy

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Which Value Chain Activities Does Apple Outsource
and Why?
How important is outsourcing to Apple’s marketplace
success?
Is outsourcing to low-wage overseas manufacturers to
avoid paying higher wages in markets where it sells the
majority of its products a failure of corporate social
responsibility by Apple?

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Aligning the Firm’s Organizational Structure with its
Strategy
Organizational structure
• Comprises the formal and informal arrangement
of tasks, responsibilities, lines of authority, and reporting
relationships for the firm
Structure is aligned with strategy when:
• Its design contributes to the creation of value for customers
• Its parts are aligned with one another and also matched to the
requirements of the strategy
• It lowers operating costs through lower bureaucratic costs and
operational efficiencies

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Matching Type of Organizational Structure to
Strategy Execution Requirements
Simple Structure Strategy
(Line-and-Staff) Execution
Requirements:

Chosen
Functional Structure Strategy
(Departmental or Unitary)

Capabilities
and
Multidivisional Structure Competencies
(Divisional or M-form)

Centralized
or
Matrix Structure Decentralized
(Composite or Combination) Control

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Types of Organizational Structures

Functional (or departmental) structure


• Organizes strategy critical activities into functional, product,
geographic, process, or customer groups
Multidivisional (or divisional) structure
• Organizes value chain activities involved in making a product or
service available to consumers into a common (self-contained)
division
Matrix structure
• Allows for multiple reporting relationships among divisional
heads and departmental heads

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Organizational Structure
and Authority in Decision Making

Organizational
Centralized Decentralized
Approaches
Decision Decision
Making
to Decision- Making
Making

Authority delegated to
Authority is retained
lower-level managers
by top management
and employees

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Organizational Structure
and Authority in Decision Making
Centralized structure
• Top managers retain authority for most decisions.
Decentralized structure
• Decision-making authority is pushed down to the lowest
organizational level capable of making timely, informed,
competent decisions.
The trend in most companies
• The trend is a shift from authoritarian to decentralized
structures stressing empowerment.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Characteristics of Centralized
Decision Making
Retention of authority by top executives
• Command-and-control paradigm rein in lower-level managers.
Minimal discretionary authority
• Frontline supervisors and rank-and-file employees must seek
prior approval by their superiors for their actions.
Key advantage
• It is easy to know who is accountable when things do not go
well.
Disadvantages
• Bureaucracy creates sluggish response to changing conditions.
• Large firms with widely scattered operations require that
decision-making authority be granted to onsite managers.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Basic Principles of
Centralized v. Decentralized Decision Making
Centralized Decentralized
Organizational Structures Organizational Structures
•Decisions on most matters of •Decision-making authority should be
importance should be in the hands of put in the hands of the people closest
top-level managers who have the to, and most familiar with, the situation.
experience, expertise, and judgment to
decide what is the best course of
action.
•Lower-level personnel have neither the •Those with decision-making authority
knowledge, time, nor inclination to should be trained to exercise good
properly manage the tasks they are judgment.
performing.
•Strong control from the top is a more •A company that draws on the combined
effective means for coordinating intellectual capital of all its employees
company actions. can outperform a command-and-
control company.
IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram
Main Advantages of
Centralized v. Decentralized Decision Making

Centralized Decentralized
Organizational Structures Organizational Structures
•Fixes accountability through tight • Encourages company employees to
control from the top exercise initiative and act responsibly
•Eliminates potential for conflicting •Promotes greater motivation and
goals and actions on the part of lower- involvement in the business on the part
level managers of more company personnel
•Facilitates quick decision making and • Spurs new ideas and creative thinking
strong leadership in crisis situations
• Allows for fast response to market
change
• Entails fewer layers of management

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Main Disadvantages of
Centralized v. Decentralized Decision Making

Centralized Decentralized
Organizational Structures Organizational Structures
•Lengthens response times by those •May result in higher-level managers
closest to the market conditions being unaware of actions taken by
because they must seek approval for empowered personnel under their
their actions supervision
•Does not encourage responsibility •Can lead to inconsistent or conflicting
among lower-level managers and rank- approaches by different managers and
and-file employees employees
•Discourages lower-level managers and • Can impair cross-unit collaboration
rank-and-file employees from
exercising any initiative

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Exercising Control Over the Actions
of Empowered Employees
Place limits on the authority that empowered personnel
can exercise.
Hold employees accountable for their decisions.
Institute compensation incentives that reward people for
doing their jobs in a manner that contributes to good
company performance.
Create a corporate culture where there is strong peer
pressure for employees to act responsibly.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Facilitating Collaboration with External Partners
and Strategic Allies
Actively manage collaborative relationships.
• Appoint “relationship managers” with responsibility for
fostering strategic partnership success.
• Get the right people together.
• Promote good rapport.
• Facilitate the flow of information.
• Nurture interpersonal communication and cooperation.
• Ensure effective coordination.
• Adopt a network structure that links independent organizations
involved in cooperative arrangements to achieve some common
undertaking.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Facilitating Collaboration with External Partners
and Strategic Allies

Creating a Strategic alliances


Network
Structure:
Using
“relationship Outsourcing arrangements
managers”
to build and
maintain
cooperative Joint ventures
arrangements
of value both
parties
Cooperative partnerships

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


CORE CONCEPT

A network structure is the arrangement linking a number


of independent organizations involved in some common
undertaking.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Allocating Resources to
Strategy-Critical Activities
Reasons for the allocation process include:
• To determine what funding is needed to execute new strategic
initiatives
• To bolster value-creating processes
• To strengthen the firm’s capabilities and competencies
Allocating resources to support strategy execution
involves:
• Funding promising proposals; turning down those that do not
• Providing the proper amount of funding to support new
strategic initiatives
• Reallocating resources to support new strategies

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Instituting Strategy-Supportive
Policies and Procedures
Strategy execution is facilitated by policies and
procedures that:
• Help enforce the needed consistency in how particular strategy
critical activities are performed.
• Provide top-down guidance regarding how certain things now
need to be done.
• Promote a work climate that facilitates good strategy execution.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


When Do Policies and Procedures
Become “Excessive”?
Too much policy
• Can be confusing and erect obstacles to good strategy
implementation
• Is inappropriate when individual creativity and initiative are
more essential to good strategy execution than standardization
and strict conformity
Wisdom in a middle approach
• Prescribe enough policies to place boundaries on employees’
actions; then empower them to act within these boundaries in
ways they think makes sense

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Striving for Continuous Improvement in Processes
and Activities
Key tools for continuous improvement
• Business process reengineering
• Total quality management (TQM) programs
• Six Sigma quality control techniques

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Management Tools for Continuous Improvement
(1 of 2)

Business process reengineering


• Involves pulling the pieces of strategy-critical activities out of
different departments and unifying their performance in a
single department or cross-functional work group
Total quality management (TQM)
• Emphasizes continuous improvement in all phases of
operations, 100% accuracy in performing tasks, involvement
and empowerment of employees at all levels and departments,
team-based work design, benchmarking, and total customer
satisfaction

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Management Tools for Continuous Improvement
(2 of 2)

Six Sigma
• Statistics-based quality control system aimed at producing not
more than 3.4 defects per million iterations for any business
process—from manufacturing to customer transactions
• Seeks to define, measure, analyze, improve, and control
variability in the organization’s processes
• Improves the efficiency of operating activities and processes,
but its rigidity can also stifle innovation

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Business Process Reengineering
v. Continuous Improvement Programs
Business process reengineering aims at quantum gains of
30% to 50%.
Continuous improvement programs stress incremental
progress—the never-ending pursuit of inch-by-inch
quality gains.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Installing Information and Operating Systems

Execution of strategies and value-creating internal


processes depends on a number of internal operating
systems.
Information systems track and report data on:
• Customers
• Operations
• Employees
• Suppliers
• Finances

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Trends in Information Systems

Up-to-the-minute reporting
• Manufacturers have daily production reports.
• Retail companies have real-time inventory and sales records for
each item.
• Manufacturers and retailers are able to use online systems to
monitor inventories and track shipments and deliveries.
Real-time information systems permit managers to
quickly intervene changes if initiatives and operations
drift off course.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Using Rewards and Incentives to
Promote Better Strategy Execution
Rewards should motivate employees to focus on what
results must be achieved and not on simply performing
their jobs.
Reward systems should include both monetary and
nonmonetary incentives.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Using Rewards and Incentives to
Promote Better Strategy Execution

Providing incentives and engaging in


motivational practices that facilitate
Techniques for good strategy execution
winning sustained,
energetic Striking the right balance between
commitment of rewards and punishment for individual
employees to the performance
strategy execution
process Linking employee rewards to
strategically relevant organizational
performance outcomes

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Guidelines for Designing Monetary Incentive Plans

Compensation incentives
• Make performance payoff a major piece of the total
compensation package.
• Have incentives that extend to all managers and all workers.
• Administer the reward system with scrupulous objectivity and
fairness.
• Tie incentives to strategy execution and financial performance.
• Set performance targets that individuals or teams can
personally affect.
• Keep the time between achieving the target performance
outcome and payment of the reward as short as possible.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Common Nonmonetary Rewards Used to
Enhance Motivation
Provide attractive perks and fringe benefits.
Adopt promotion from within policies.
Act on suggestions from employees.
Create a work atmosphere where there is sincerity,
caring, and mutual respect among all employees.
Share information with employees about financial
performance, strategy, operational measures, market
conditions, and competitors’ actions.
Have attractive office spaces and facilities.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


How the Best Companies to Work for
Motivate and Reward Employees
The times they are changing: Why are companies finding
it increasingly necessary to motivate and reward workers
to achieve higher levels of performance?
As businesses continue to globalize, how will companies
have to adapt their reward and incentive systems?

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Nucor Corporation: Tying Incentives Directly to
Strategy Execution
Tying incentives directly to strategy execution works
when management has chosen the right strategy; what
happens when the choice of strategy turns out to be
seriously wrong?
What happens to employee morale and loyalty when a
low-cost leadership firm achieves higher productivity at
both its lower and higher wage locations and then needs
to expand its production output? (productivity ≠
profitability).

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Instilling a Corporate Culture that
Promotes Good Strategy Execution
A corporate culture:
• Is the firm’s organizational DNA—its approach to people
management.
• Is comprised of shared core values, beliefs, and business
principles that are engrained in employee behaviors and
attitudes.
• Defines its operating style—the chemistry of the firm’s work
environment (“how we do things around here”).

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Identifying the Key Features of a Company’s
Corporate Culture
Values,
Management Atmosphere and How managers
principles, and
practices and spirit embodied and employees
ethical
organizational in the firm’s work interact and relate
standards
policies climate to one another
in actual use

Features of a Corporate Culture

Strength of peer Actions and Traditions and


How the firm
pressure to behaviors stories and “how
treats its
conform and encouraged we do things
stakeholders
observe norms and rewarded around here”

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Why Corporate Cultures Matter to the
Strategy Execution Process
A culture that is well matched to the chosen strategy and
the requirements of the strategy execution effort focuses
the attention of employees on what is most important to
this effort.
Culture-induced peer pressure further induces personnel
to do things in a manner that aids the cause of good
strategy execution.
A culture that is consistent with the requirements for
good strategy execution can energize employees, deepen
their commitment to execute the strategy flawlessly, and
enhance worker productivity.
IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram
Healthy Cultures that Aid Good Strategy Execution

Performance

Good Strategy
Execution

High-Performance Adaptive
Cultures Cultures

Commitment to
Willingness to accept
achieving stretch
change and take on
objectives and
challenges
accountability

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


High-Performance Cultures

Standout cultural traits


• A “can-do” spirit
• Pride in doing things right
• No-excuses accountability
• A results-oriented work climate in which people go the extra
mile to achieve performance targets

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Characteristics of High-Performance Cultures

Characteristics:
• A strong sense of involvement by all employees
• An emphasis on individual initiative and creativity
• Clear statement of performance expectations
• Prompt addressing of critical issues
• Constructive pressure to achieve good results

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Adaptive Cultures

Adaptive cultures are well suited to fast-changing


industries.
Characteristics of adaptive cultures
• Willingness to accept change and embrace challenge of
introducing and executing new strategies.
• Internal entrepreneurship on the part of individuals and groups
encouraged and rewarded
• Adopting a proactive approach to identifying issues, evaluating
the implications and options, and quickly moving ahead with
workable solutions

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Unhealthy Cultures that Impede Good Strategy
Execution
Incompatible
Subcultures

Change-resistant Insular, inwardly


cultures focused cultures
Unhealthy
Cultures
Politicized Unethical and greed-
cultures driven cultures

Poor Strategy
Execution

Poor Performance

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Traits of Unhealthy Corporate Cultures

Highly politicized internal environment


• Issues are resolved on the basis of political clout.
Hostility to change
• Avoid risks; experimentation and efforts to alter status quo are
discouraged.
Insular, inwardly-focused “not-invented-here” mind-set
• Personnel discount the need to look outside for best practices.
Disregard for high ethical standards
Presence of incompatible, clashing subcultures

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Strong Guiding Principles Drive
the High-Performance Culture at Epic
What actions does Epic take to foster the high-
performance culture that is so important to its success?
How do Epic’s 10 Commandments relate to its stated
principles?
Is there a relationship between development of unique
cultures and the subsequent growth and success of
focused or niche businesses?

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


The High-performance Culture at Epic

Epic’s 10 Commandments Epic’s Principles


1. Do not go public. 1. Make our products a joy to use.
2. Have fun with customers.
2. Do not be acquired.
3. Design in collaboration with users.
3. Software must work. 4. Make it easy for users to do the
4. Expectations = reality. right thing.
5. Improve the patient’s health and
5. Keep commitments. healthcare experience.
6. Focus on competency. Do not 6. Generalize to benefit more.
tolerate mediocrity. 7. Follow processes. Find root causes.
7. Have standards. Be fair to all. Fix processes.
8. Dissent when you disagree; once
8. Have courage. What you put up decided, support.
with is what you stand for. 9. Do what is difficult for us if it makes
9. Teach philosophy and culture. things easier for our users.
10. Escalate problems at the start, not
10.Be frugal. Do not take on debt when all hell breaks loose.
for operations.
IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram
Steps in Changing a Problem Culture

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Making a Compelling Case for a Culture Change

Why is there a need for change?


• Cite reasons the current strategy has to be modified and why
new strategic initiatives are being undertaken.
• Cite why and how current behavioral norms and work practices
are obstacles to new strategic initiatives.
• Explain how new behaviors and work practices will produce
better results.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Substantive Culture-Changing Actions (1 of 2)

Replace key executives who stonewall needed


organizational and cultural changes.
Promote individuals who advocate for the shift to a
different culture and who can serve as role models for
the desired cultural behavior.
Appoint outsiders with desired cultural attributes to high-
profile positions—new-breed managers send an
unambiguous message that a new era is dawning.
Screen candidates for new positions carefully, hiring only
those who fit in with the new culture.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Substantive Culture-Changing Actions (2 of 2)

Mandate that all personnel attend culture-training


programs to better understand the culture-related
actions and behaviors that are expected.
Design compensation incentives that boost the pay of
teams and individuals who display the desired cultural
behaviors, while hitting change-resisters in the
pocketbook.
Revise policies and procedures in ways that will help
drive cultural change.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Symbolic Culture Changing Actions

Lead by executive example.


• Executives must be alert to the fact that company personnel
will be watching their actions and decisions to see if they are
walking the talk.
Executives promote the strategy.
• Fit into the culture by appearing at ceremonial functions to
celebrate the culture and praise individuals and groups that get
with the program.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


CORE CONCEPT: Corporate Culture

Corporate culture is a firm's internal work climate and is


shaped by its core values, beliefs, and business principles.
A firm's culture is important because it influences its
traditions, work practices, and style of operating.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Leading the Strategy Execution Process

Managers at all levels of the firm must:


• Stay on top of what is happening and closely monitoring
progress by engaging in managing by walking around (MBWA).
• Put constructive pressure on the organization to achieve good
results and operating excellence.
• Not delay in initiating corrective actions to improve strategy
execution and achieve the targeted performance results.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Putting Constructive Pressure on Organizational Units to
Achieve Good Results and Operating Excellence

To foster a results-oriented, high-performance culture:


• Treat employees with dignity and respect.
• Encourage employee initiative and creativity.
• Set stretch objectives and clearly communicate
expectations.
• Focus attention on continuous improvement.
• Use motivation and compensation to reward high
performance.
• Celebrate individual, group, and company successes.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram


Initiating Corrective Actions to Improve Both the
Company’s Strategy and Its Execution
Decide when adjustments are needed.
Make corrective adjustments.
Decide what adjustments to make.

IUEH-ISB Strategic Management; Michael Saram

You might also like